Big Cat, Little Cat
Written and Illustrated by Elisha Cooper

Publisher’s Summary:
There was a cat who lived alone. Until the day a new cat came . . . And so a story of friendship begins, following two cats through their days, months, and years until one day, the older cat has to go. And he doesn’t come back. This is a poignant story, told in measured text and bold black-and-white illustrations about life and the act of moving on.

Primary Source Pairing:
Pets are an important part of our lives and especially the lives of children. Use Big Cat, Little Cat as a way to celebrate the pets of the families in your school. Create a bulletin board to display all furry, feathered, or scaley family members. Invite students to write about their pets and display their work with the images. For this primary source pairing, I have included a picture of my dear cat Miles.

Questions for Discussion:

• Describe what you see.
• What do you notice first?
• What people, animals, and objects are shown?
• What’s happening in the image?
• Using the image, make a connection to your own pet or a story of a pet.

Credits:
Book Cover and Summary: Follett
Photograph of Miles: JMarek